1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to clothing hangers, and more specifically to an adjustable clothing hanger.
2. Description of the Related Art
Americans are blessed with being able to find virtually any type of clothing style in just about any size. Each person is almost assured of having clothing that fits their body size and shape perfectly. However, with the exception of small child hangers, everyone is forced to store their clothing on a single sized hanger that is approximately 18 inches wide. This is clearly a case where one size does not fit all. Those with larger sized shirts, blouses, jackets, and coats must deal with shoulder areas that sag when stored on a smaller hanger. This causes the clothes to look less than perfect when removed from the hanger and may even necessitate an extra ironing. This of course consumes extra time and ultimately may cause damage to the clothing due to additional ironing, washing, drying or dry cleaning. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which those with larger sized clothing can be afforded a means to hang such clothing in a closet without the disadvantages as described above.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
U. S. Pat. No. 6,220,489, issued in the name of Sato, describes a folding clothes hanger;
U. S. Pat. No. 6,206,255, issued in the name of Turner, describes a clothes hanger adapters;
U. S. Pat. No. 6,179,174, issued in the name of Kandl, describes an adjustable clothes hanger;
U. S. Pat. No. 6,164,504, issued in the name of Richard, describes a clothes hanger extender; which attaches to standard plastic hangers
U. S. Pat. No. 6,003,743, issued in the name of Deady, describes a multiple item adjustable clothes hanger for one or more clothing articles;
U. S. Pat. No. 5,711,464, issued in the name of Huang, describes a length adjustable clothes hanger with flexible arm;
U. S. Pat. No. 5,476,199, issued in the name of Halverson et al, describes a clothes hanger with adjustable, extendable clothing support arms;
U. S. Pat. No. 5,085,358, issued in the name of Lam, describes a clothes hanger adjustable in length; and
U. S. Pat. No. 923,786, issued in the name of Geraci, describes an adjustable coat hanger.
Consequently, there exists a need for new ideas and enhancements for existing products in the clothing hanger industry.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger adjustable to a variety of sizes for accommodating a variety of clothing sizes.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger securely impinged so as to prevent unnecessary lateral movement of the device.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable clothing hanger having a textured, no-slip surface, thereby preventing slippage of clothes.
Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, an adjustable clothes hanger is a clothes hanger that is adjustable in size. Each side of the hanger has an adjustment mechanism, thus allowing for a variable width. The adjustment mechanism consists of a series of spring loaded pushbuttons (or snap fasteners) on a smaller diameter tube that engages a series of orifices or apertures on a larger diameter tube. It allows for the hanging of larger sized shirts, blouses, jackets, coats and the like without allowing the shoulder sections to sag. Such support eliminates unsightly wrinkles, hanger marks in the yoke of the garment, or the improper stretching of the fabric, and provides for better-looking clothes when they are removed from a closet. The invention also provides a swivel joint near the hook of the hanger where it joins the horizontal section. This joint allows the hanger to swivel in the closet and allows the hanger to be at any angle to the closet rod versus the perpendicular manner as required of conventional hangers. This feature is especially important when used in closets that are not very deep. The use of an adjustable clothes hanger allows those with larger clothing to hang such clothing in a closet, knowing it will be neat, wrinkle-free and presentable when removed.
The use of the present invention provides users with all of the materials and tools necessary to ensure that a user may easily use and maintain an adjustable clothing hanger.
An advantage of the present invention is that it is specifically adapted for personal use because of the light weight components and the use of inexpensive materials.
A further advantage of the present invention is that prevents hanger lines and creases in clothing that are caused by conventional clothing hangers.